Disney is bringing its magic to the
people of China by building the first
Disney resort destination on the
mainland. As construction of the
Shanghai Disney Resort progresses,
Shanghai Daily is running this regular
column to go behind the scenes and meet the experts and team
members who are making it happen.
The column will also explore the
challenges they face and the fun they
have creating a world-class tourism
destination here.

As construction continues at
the Shanghai Disney Resort,
the theme park’s castle is
surrounded by scaffolding –
as well as the lofty expectations of its
designers.

According to Disney, the resort’s
Enchanted Storybook Castle will be the
tallest and largest castle ever built at a
Disney theme park. Disney Imagineers
who spoke to Shanghai Daily say there
are also plenty of other features that
will make this castle unique among its
peers.

“There will be more immersive
attractions and activities here,” said
Ali Rubinstein, the castle’s executive
producer and creative director. “There
will be an elegant table-service restaurant, a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon
for children, shopping and spectacular
entertainment. A magnificent winding
staircase will lead to the top of the
castle, for the magical walk-through attraction Once Upon A Time Adventure.
The mystical boat ride Voyage to the
Crystal Grotto will pass beneath the
castle, through a secret underground
chamber.”

What’s more, unlike other Disney
castles, which are each themed around
only one of Disney’s famed princesses
— for example, the Cinderella Castle at
Disney’s park in Tokyo, or the Sleeping
Beauty Castle in Paris — the castle in
Shanghai will feature all 12 of Disney’s
iconic princesses.

Another distinctive feature of the
castle in Shanghai will be its Chinese
elements, designed in large part by a
team of local talent.

The tallest finial on the castle will
feature a peony, the flower of China,
alongside the traditional Disney shooting stars. Other finials are designed
with Chinese motifs of their own, such
as auspicious cloud patterns, lotus
flowers and magnolias. Flying above
the castle will also be a flag with a
traditional Chinese symbol offering
good wishes to guests.

“In Chinese culture, lotus flowers
represent pure hearts and perfection, while the magnolia is the flower
representing Shanghai,” said Leia Mi, the creative designer behind the finials
and one of the many Chinese Imagineers whoworked on the castle. “The
whole idea of the design is that if you
have a pure heart, your wish will come
true.”

With the castle still decidedly
European in its overall design, designers were creative about their use of
Chinese elements.

Apart from those in the finials, Rubinstein says there are Chinese motifs
and flourishes hidden throughout the
castle. Part of the fun for visitors, she
explained, will be discovering these
details for themselves.

“This park is actually the most collaborative project by Disney so far,” she
said. “We’re always thoughtful about
trying to incorporate the local cultural
elements in the park, and we’ve really
brought in designs from local artists.”

For both Rubinstein and Mi, this
castle is also the first such project
they’ve worked on with Disney.

Rubinstein joined Disney in 1998
and worked as a production designer,
art director and show producer at Disney resorts in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Mi, a native of Shanxi Province,
began dreaming of a career at Disney
from the age of nine. Her break came
in 2008 when, as an art and animation student at the Savannah College
of Art and Design, she participated in
a design contest held by Disney. Her
design impressed the judges and she
was offered an internship. This led to a
full-time job after graduation.

“I kept telling people that one day
I would become a Disney artist,” she
said. “To me, joining Disney is like a
childhood dream coming true.”